Such methods and devices are used, for example, within the scope of driving off assistance devices and/or driving off assistance methods which prevent unintentional rolling of the vehicle when it is driven off. As soon as the driver initiates the driving off process, the brake pressure and brake force in the wheel brake devices are then automatically reduced and the vehicle drives off without rolling back inadvertently.
A method and a device of the type mentioned at the beginning are known, for example, from DE 196 21 628 A1. In this context, the initiation of the driving off process by the driver is detected using the position of the clutch pedal or the brake pedal. If the driver moves the clutch pedal or the brake pedal back out of the actuated position, it is inferred that the driving off process is being initiated.
The disadvantage here is that detection of the initiation of the driving off process can be used only in driving off assistance methods and/or driving off assistance devices in which the brake pedal or the clutch pedal is activated by the driver in the stationary state of the vehicle before the driving off process is initiated. However, there are also driving off methods in which the brake pressure in the wheel brake devices is automatically maintained by the driving off process while the vehicle is in a stationary state without the pedal being activated.
Another method and device of the type mentioned at the beginning are known, for example from DE 100 63 061 A1. In that document, a driving off process is inferred, if, firstly the current engine torque is sufficient to drive off the vehicle from the stationary state, and secondly the current engine torque or the engine torque requested by the driver increases, and thirdly the average increase in the engine torque over time lies in a predefined range, for example between 1% and 60%.